I'm Dreaming of a Black Christmas
by prongsridesagain
Summary: Sirius Black isn't the kind of guy a girl should try to hang onto. That's why he hasn't kissed her...until now. Sirius/OC One-Shot


Sirius Black was bored.

He was out on the grounds of Hogwarts having a drag off his cigarette and staring up at the clouds. It was a cold December day, his hands feeling like ice even in his gloves and his scarf was tightly wound around his neck. If he didn't like to smoke so much when he was bored, he wouldn't have been caught outside for a million galleons.

Blowing a few smoke rings, he thought about the upcoming holiday. Even if it had been two years since he had to experience a Black Christmas it hadn't become any easier to not think back on. The house elves' heads decorated with Santa Hats. The tree glittered with fairies and green balls with black garland and the rest of the house had touches of falling snow here and there.

To an outsider it may have never seemed that terrible, but he knew how things worked there. He could feel his usual Happy Christmas smack across the face after he'd mention something about muggles. He remembered being sent to his room with no food after saying something crude to his mother once she'd insult one of his friends. Then there was the fact that he hadn't got a present from them since he went 'rogue' so it was never a good Christmas in Number Twelve Grimmauld Place.

Snuffing out his fag, he braced himself against the wind and headed back into Hogwarts. The warm instantly embraced him back home and he smiled as he smelled dinner cooking in the kitchens. He'd miss this place next year, if nothing else, he'd miss being home.

Even though the place was sparse of students he soon ran into one on the way back up to Gryffindor tower.

"Don't you think that's a bit too much to carry?"

Gemma O'Malley whipped around so fast that the books she had in her arms went flying all over the ground and she tripped over her own feet. Catching her carefully against his body, he leaned her back up and stared down at her pretty red face.

"I'd really like it if you didn't scare the shit out of me. Thank you," she muttered angrily, bending down now and picking up her library books.

"It wasn't my intention." He smirked, bending to help her.

"Wasn't it?"

"No, I didn't think 'Hey look, it's O'Malley! She hates my bloody guts, I should scare the shit outta her.'"

She looked at him oddly. "I don't hate you."

"Could have fooled me."

"Just because we seem to get in rows a lot and your best friend is stealing mine away for shags doesn't mean I hate you."

"You know it's just because of the sexual tension."

"The sexual tension?"

"Don't deny you want me, O'Malley."

"Are you saying you want me then?"

"What? No – I didn't mean –"

"Cat got your tongue?"

She smiled up at him, her big blue eyes sparkling slightly under the candlelight from the lanterns above. Of course he wanted her, that wasn't a fact he had a hard time dealing with. It was the fact that he wanted her so badly that kept him away. What does a Black know about showing affection?

"You think highly of yourself."

"I think highly of _myself? _You walk around the school acting like you're God's gift to women and I think highly of myself? You've got some nerve."

"I am God's gift to women, thank you very much. I mean, look at me."

"All I see is an arrogant face."

He glared at her slightly. "See, you hate me."

"I do not hate you, and thank you for helping pick up my books." She said kindly, thrusting her arms out for him to pile them back up but he kept them.

"I'll carry these back to the common room, it's my Christmas present to you."

"So kind sir, so very kind."

"See, I'm fucking charming."

Gemma laughed, walking alongside him on the staircases. "And so very modest."

"I'm just pretty damn amazing; I'm not going to deny it."

"I wouldn't want you to change now."

"I'm glad you've accepted my brilliance so – FUCK!"

He hadn't been paying any attention to where they had been going because he had been so focused on her that he walked right into a trick step. The books in his arms once again flew all around the floor and he was awkwardly stuck half in the hole and half out. Gemma smiled from the step above.

"We're the same height with you stuck in there," she laughed, her face even with his as he looked at her with a rapid beating heart driving him mad. "Maybe I'll just leave you here."

"Come on O'Malley, I helped you with your books."

"Fine, but I really don't think I'm going to be able to pull you out of it."

"I'm sure you've got some brute Irish strength in you somewhere."

Setting down her stack of books, she offered both her hands to him and he took them safely in his. She gripped down, pulling him as hard as her small frame could and he eventually sprung out of the hole and right on top of her. Awkwardly sprawled on the steps, he realized how close they were and reveled in the moment before it'd inevitably be over.

"Must be stronger than I look." She smiled, both of them finally sitting up and next to each other on the step.

"I told you, you Irish have got some anger that gives you strength."

"And a great ability to drink a thousand pints without dying."

"That too…I admire you greatly for that."

"Shut it Black."

Looking over, she had a light blush in her cheeks that he found oddly enamoring on her and he reached out a finger to stroke along one side of her face. She just stared at him, her lips open slightly as if trying to figure out something to say but both of them were stricken silent.

Not common for either of them by far.

"I wouldn't be very good at being a boyfriend."

"I've never had a boyfriend so you have nothing to live up to."

"It'll be really casual; I'm not going to send you love letters."

"I don't want to waste time reading them anyway."

"I'll forget dates."

"We won't schedule any."

"I'm no good at romance."

"I hate flowers and Valentine's day."

"I really want to kiss you."

"Please do."

He smiled, thinking if he was a dog right now his tail would be wagging like mad. Bending down, his nose lightly rubbed against hers for a minute as he gauged which way her head would go. When she had decided on right, he went left and his lips found hers for the first time.

It was a calm, soft kiss…nothing he'd ever really been accustomed too. With him it has always been just a convenience to snog a girl, something to do like smoking a fag when he was bored. That is why he had warned her, that and the fact that a Black and a muggleborn was about as ridiculous thing to think about. Then he thought of his cousin Andromeda and grinned against Gemma's lips.

"This might work." He said when he pulled back, both their faces flushed from the anticipation of what might come next.

"I'm glad you have such faith in us."

"Come now O'Malley."

"If we're going to snog in cupboards and such, I want you calling me Gemma."

He smirked. "That's fine by me."

"Good. I'm glad that's settled."

"Should we head back up then?"

"No…I like it here." She sat with her hands between her knees as if unsure as what to do next. But, he guessed, she didn't because this was brand new territory for her. At least he'd snogged girls before.

But as they sat there, their silence not uncomfortable, he really got a good look at her. The long brown hair that fell down her back and only curled at the ends, the light dusting of freckles that only were on her nose, her petite frame much smaller than his but she was a strong girl. Stronger than him at least, she'd been through so much.

He wondered if he had normal parents if they would like her if he brought her home, and resolved the thought knowing Mrs. Potter would love her.

"So, what are you doing after school is over then?"

She looked slightly taken aback by his question. "Oh, I don't know. I mean, I'd love to work at the Ministry maybe…fight for Muggleborn Rights."

"You won't be running back to Ireland then? Leaving me here in the cold all alone?"

"No, I only have an aunt there now and after my parents –" When she stopped he instantly knew why, his hand gripping her thigh as if reminding her he was there. "After last summer, Lily and I have decided maybe to get a flat. You know, be all grown up and mature."

"James will be over there all the time shagging Lily."

She laughed, pulling off his glove so she could look at his fingers. "That mental image was not something I wanted so close to dinner, thanks."

"I thought girls hated eating…I was just doing you a favor."

"Have you ever seen me shy away from food Sirius?"

"No, you usually shovel it down about as fast as me."

"Exactly…don't ruin my appetite."

"I promise never to again." He gripped her hand in his and stared at the odd varnish on her nails. It was bright red only darkened slightly by the ink staining her fingers.

"We've been trying not to give in to this since last year." She looked up at him again, Sirius knowing they'd be interrupted soon by people going to dinner. "Why now?"

"I don't know, it just happened that way. I honestly think you deserve better –"

"Better than God's gift to women? Point me in his direction and I will run there immediately."

"Har har Gemma. My brother used the Imperius curse on you last year or don't you remember?"

Her smile faltered. "I can't really forget that."

"Snogging me was just never good for you. I wanted to keep you at bay for as long as I could stand."

"That's sweet Sirius but it's really my decision if I want to snog you or not."

"I was just trying to keep you safe."

"You have to understand that if I want something badly enough I'm not going to shy away from it just because I might get hurt."

"You want me that badly, do you?" He laughed, leaning his forehead against hers and still trying to decide if this was a mistake or not. "Should have told me you tart."

"Not like you said anything either."

He leaned in again, his one bare hand holding her face still as he kissed her thoroughly until her hands were gripping his jacket tightly. Leaning back, he smiled and kissed her forehead just as he felt a hand slap down on his shoulder.

"Look who's finally snogging Gemma!"

"James, you are irritating sometimes."

"Padfoot, that is just cruel. You are like my brother from another bitchy mother."

"Doesn't mean you can't ruin a moment Prongs."

"I'm deeply offended mate…I'm going to go eat an enormous amount of pudding and cry into it."

"I wouldn't expect anything less." He smiled at his best friend, standing and helping Gemma up as Lily came to join them.

"I'll add a good day of moping in there too, just to make sure you understand my pain."

"Brilliant…I'll enjoy the peace and quiet."

"Sirius Black…I don't know you anymore."

They both started laughing, something they did quite often when only they were included in the joke. Sirius collected all the books on the floor and looked over at Gemma talking to Lily. Her eyes found his and she smiled and dropped him a wink. Smirking, he headed down to supper with a newfound love for the Christmas holidays.


End file.
